In our last blog, we noted three key metrics by which you can fundamentally assess your opportunity for improving sales capacity.  In this blog, we will address the metric that typically gets the most attention – the close ratio. Our research suggests that the “typical” wealth management close ratio ranges from 25% to 35% (for…

In this our fifth in a series of articles about helping clients in the Accumulation Phase of Retirement Planning, we note that clients will often be unaware of or ignore the potential risks of premature death, short- and long-term disability, casualty losses, lawsuits, retirement plan security, unplanned estate distribution issues, etc. Such events can severely…

Everyone in the industry is striving to grow revenue meaningfully and in short order. Some are considering expansion strategies and some new offerings or a new model (expensive, time-consuming, and delayed impact). Many are seeking training solutions (often inaccurately targeted) to improve sales results. And just about everyone is looking for a way to drive…

The date of July 9, 2012, marks the implementation of new FINRA rules governing the suitability requirements of brokers under Rule 2111. While many see this as the first foray into a new set of regulations and harmonization of the true fiduciary standards that RIA’s must meet, these new rules and standards push brokers to…

In this our fourth in a series of articles about helping clients in the Accumulation Phase of Retirement Planning, we address the fourth root cause of inadequate retirement saving, which is improper allocation of their retirement accumulation portfolio(s) when measured against their objectives and risk tolerance. We have been witnessing a steady decline in defined…